(1 of )Inmate Richard Epiceno of Cal Fire Mt. Bullion Inmate Crew 2 lights strips of vegetation on fire with his drip torch during a back firing operation at the Oakmont fire, off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(3 of )Inmate Richard Epiceno of Cal Fire Mt. Bullion Inmate Crew 2, who is serving in his third fire season, watches flames from a back firing operation consume a hillside toward a flank of the Oakmont fire off Highway 12, in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(4 of )Inmates from Cal Fire Mt. Bullion Inmate Crews 2 and 4 move along a road as flames from a back firing operation race uphill toward a flank of the Oakmont fire off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(6 of )Long Beach firefighter Ernesto Torres fires a shot from a flare gun to start a back fire further up a hill, at the Oakmont fire off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(7 of )Long Beach battalion chief Robbie Grego, right, supervises members of his Southern California-based strike team during a back firing operation at the Oakmont fire off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(8 of )Firefighters working a back firing operation keep their eyes open for embers floating into the "green" side of the road that they do not plan to burn at the Oakmont fire, off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(9 of )A Cal Fire Siskyou engine crew keeps flames from a back fire on the ground by cooling off tree trunks with a hose during a firing operation at the Oakmont fire, off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(10 of )Long Beach Fire engineer Andy Chan keeps flames from a back fire on the ground by cooling off tree trunks with a hose during a firing operation at the Oakmont fire, off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California, on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)

(11 of )Inmates from Cal Fire Mt. Bullion Crew 2 keep lookout across the road from a back firing operation at the Oakmont fire off Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, California on Tuesday, October 17, 2017. (Alvin Jornada / The Press Democrat)